The Lonely Hearts Bar. Конни Гранма

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      «Hey Connie!» they called out simultaneously.

      «Hi guys. How are you?»

      «Fucking awful, thanks for asking!» David said cheerfully.

      «David, could you stop?»

      «Are classes already over?» David asked.

      «I had the day off.»

      «Listen, we were thinking about doing a movie night. Basically, there’s gonna be popcorn and coke. Wanna join?» Lee asked.

      «Sounds good. I was thinking of stopping by somewhere for lunch. You down?»

      They looked at one another:

      «Good plan!» they blurted out in unison.

      «She’s adorable. I literally can’t even,» Lee said admiringly, «so where are we headed?»

      «You’re a dick,» David observed.

      «Just trust me, Lee.»

      Well, I’m pretty sure you guessed where I decided to take them: «Caioti Pizza Cafe.» I ordered the same pizza as last time and a refreshing pitcher of lemonade.

      «Goddamn. This is unbelievable!» David burst out.

      I had a taste of the lemonade and glanced at him: he was clumsily snatching strings of melted cheese with his teeth, having lifted a piece of pizza over his chin, and then looked over and smiled. It was the grin of a teenage boy dying for the weekend, when his parents will let him eat a pizza and drink something sweet and probably terrible for him. It was like watching moments from his childhood play out before my eyes: the good ones abruptly becoming cold and full of pain…

      «David, what’s your dream?»

      «Like in life?» He wiped his mouth with a napkin. «Hmmm… My dream is to hit my head and get amnesia. That would be ideal. To get a second chance, do everything differently.»

      Lee sighed disapprovingly.

      «What about you, Lee?»

      «To go home.»

      «Where’s that?»

      «Look at my eyes. Gimme your best guess: where do people eat everything that moves?»

      «God Lee. Stop it, would you?» David winced. «What about you, Connie? What do you dream about?»

      Lee poured lemonade for everyone.

      «Me?» I thought for a moment, «this is gonna sound lame, but I don’t know if I can answer that. Maybe I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.»

      David smiled, nodding with comprehension. After that fantastic lunch we went back to their place to watch a movie.

      «And here’s our humble abode,» said Lee, pointing at the rusty staircase I’d seen before.

      «Soon the grass’ll be growing up the wall,» David remarked.

      «Shame it’s not marijuana! At least we could make some money off it.»

      They both chuckled. The staircase led to a little house that was so overgrown it was utterly invisible at night. Inside, it turned out to be pretty cozy. There was one room, a tiny bathroom without a bath, a beat-up couch, an armchair and a TV. The walls were covered in illegible childish script. Somehow, that homely mess made me feel good, practically gleeful in a childish way.

      «So what movie were you planning on watching?»

      «Well, we’ve got movies and cartoons,» David suggested.

      «Which ones?» Lee screwed a light bulb into the ceiling.

      «Treasure Planet,» replied David.

      «That’s my favorite cartoon!» I said excitedly.

      «Well, wanna watch that?»

      «Why’s it your favorite?» David asked.

      «Any more questions, Curious George?» Lee quipped.

      «Pretty sure you’re the only curious one in the room.»

      «Ha. Ha,» Lee grumbled, as David quickly gathered the trash off the couch.

      The guys turned on the movie, threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave, and got out a bottle of coke.

      «Could I just have water?» I asked.

      «Coming right up. I could even throw in some lemon juice,» said Lee.

      «That’d be great.»

      David sat down beside me and gave me a look.

      «What’s up?»

      «The pizza was really good,» he said.

      «Here’s your water.» Lee came back.

      «Thanks.»

      We entered the world of Treasure Planet. Lee and I watched attentively, but David was constantly huffing, getting up, walking from corner to corner, getting distracted and throwing popcorn at Lee. Towards the end, he got out a cigarette but then looked at me and tucked it behind his ear.

      I guess that was the night we became best friends.

      We spent all our time together: our short breaks on the university lawn, «fancy» drinks like ice water at the bar, evenings watching cartoons and, when things onscreen got hot and steamy, they covered my eyes and threw popcorn at the TV.

      Every day was full of new adventures, jokes, and arguments about something or other.

      But I still had spells of terrible, overwhelming loneliness. Especially when I arrived at my dark apartment, opened the window and listened to the hum of the city, gazing at the stars. I’d quietly sing a melody to myself that sprung up from somewhere in my mind.

      One day, the doorbell rang:

      «I didn’t wake you up, did I?»

      «No Dave. I wasn’t sleeping.»

      «You sure?»

      «M-hm.»

      Lee’s voice came over the phone:

      «Then open the door!»

      I ran to the door and slowly opened it. Standing in front of me were my two favorite assholes. They patted my head in turn and came in.

      «Wait, where’s the coat rack?» Dave exclaimed.

      «I moved it. It’s by the closet,» I replied.

      Lee lugged three large bags into the apartment.

      «What’s that?»

      «We decided to move in with you!» Dave announced.

      «Don’t scare her like that,» Lee СКАЧАТЬ